The Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) thinks the most recent polls in the five city corporations were not competitive. They say people were not that interested about these elections either. These polls cannot be considered as neutral, fair and acceptable. It was just a practice of casting votes.
SHUJAN has found that 67 per cent of the elected public representatives in the five city corporation are business persons. SHUJAN came up with this evaluation in an online press conference on analysis of information on winning candidates in the election and the evaluation of the polls.
Elections to Khulna, Rajshahi, Gazipur, Sylhet and Barishal were held recently.
SHUJAN’s central coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarker presented a written speech in the press conference. He said the ruling Awami League claimed that the five city corporation polls are proof that a free and fair election is possible under the incumbent government. It would encourage people for the national election. The chief election commissioner also expressed satisfaction over the city polls.
However, SHUJAN believes these claims are not rational. Election is the scope, right and power of people to choose from alternatives. Therefore, where there is no alternative, there is no election. There was no proper alternative in these polls, Dilip Kumar Sarker added.
SHUJAN says these elections were comparatively peaceful. However, the reason behind the peaceful environment is that the main opposition boycotted the polls. Besides, the government wanted to hold peaceful elections ahead of the 12th national polls. In addition, the new US visa policy might have an impact on the concerned people.
SHUJAN further says in the press conference that usually the rate of casting vote is high in the local government polls. However, this was not the case in the last five city corporation polls. The rate was even lower than that of the 2018 general election.
In other parts of the evaluation, SHUJAN said of the elected public representatives, some 28 per cent did not even complete the SSC. Some 34 per cent of the elected public representatives are accused in criminal cases. Their annual income varies from Tk 500,000 to Tk 2.5 million. However, the number of taxpayers among the elected public representatives has increased. Besides, SHUJAN has urged the election commission to verify the affidavits of the candidates thoroughly.
Senior lawyer and executive member of SHUJAN, Shahdeen Malik said, “The incumbent government in South Africa has been in power for around 30 years. A political party has occupied an entire nation there. Bangladesh is also in the same stage.”
According to the SHUJAN, the number of business persons among the elected public representatives is the lowest in Sylhet and the highest in Khulna.
Speaking regarding this, Shahdeen Malik said, “Business is the main source of income for the city mayors. However, the mayors should avoid the policy of doing business.”
SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar raised questions about whether the last five city polls comply with the definition of an election.
SHUJAN's Chattogram chapter president Mohammad Sikander Khan presided over the press conference.